Fence-post



(No Model.)

G. SWINGLE, 4th.

FENCE POST. No. 275,286.

WITNESSES Attorneys nnnnnn a mmmno nwm, washin a. c.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SWINGLE, 4TH, or ROSEVILLE, OHIO.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,286, dated April 3,1883. Application tiled September 16, 1851. Renewed December S, 1882.(No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE SWINGLE, 4th, ofRoseville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Posts and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had totheaccompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification, and inwhich-- Figure l is a side view of my improved vitrified fence-post.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec tion of one of my compound fence-posts.Fig. 3 is a side view of a vitrified post adapted for barb-wire fences.Fig. 4 is a top view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view representing amodified construction of a post for barb-wire fences, and Fig. 6 is asimilar view of a post adapted for lath-fences.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

My invention contemplates an improved construction of fence-posts, ashereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in theclaim.

The chief object of my improvement is to prevent premature decay of thepost, notably, that portion which is in the ground and is most liable todecay. To this end I construct my improved posts either wholly or inpart of a vitrified substance, which will last for an y length of time,and is suificiently inexpensive to warrant its general use in posts ofall descriptions. Where suitable timber is scarce I prefer to make theentire post of this substance, which is a composition of potters clay,orfire-clay, and crushed rock,mixed with water in suitable proportionsand molded into the shape which the post is to have, after which themolded post is dried and burned in a kiln until the material has beenthoroughly vitrified. Where fireclay cannot readily be had ordinarybrick-clay may be used, and treated, after molding, as in themanufacture of building-brick.

The post consists essentially of two partsvia, the top part or postproper (denoted by the letter A in the several figures) and the bottompart or base, 13. Where the post is made partly of wood or iron the baseBis, previous to burning, molded with a central socket, b, whichreceives the tenon a at the lower end of the wooden or metal part A, asclearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The post and its base mayeither be square, rectangular, oval, or iound in cross-section, as tasteand expediency may suggest. To hold the tenoned top part firmly in itssocket, I employ any suitable cement, which, when it has set andhardened, will completely fill up the space around the tenon, so thatthe two parts A and Bare as one solid piece.

To prevent the post from rising out of the ground by frost,I make thebase 13 with a projecting bottom flange, c, and a series of two or moreflanges, (Z (1, above the bottom flange, which operate to hold it firmlyin the ground in which it is set and prevent displacement in a verticaldirection. The upper part or post proper, A, which projects above 'theground, is made tapering from base to top,

and constructed according to the class or kind of fence for which thepost is to be used. Thus in Fig. 1 I have shown a post provided withslots or mortisescfor theinsertion ofrailsin the construction of a railfence. The post shown in Fig. 2 (whether made in one or two parts) isadapted for the construction of a panel or picket fence. In Fig. 3 Ihave shown a post provided with headed pinsf, around which the wire iswound in the construction of a wire fence. Fig.5 shows a post ofasimilarconstruc tion 5 but, instead of headed-pins, theupper part, A,is molded with projecting buttonsg g, being wider at their cuter than attheir inner ends, around which the wire is wound or twisted, and in Fig.6 I have shown a post molded with a' series of steps or offsets, h h, onone side, which form supports for lengths of laths used -in theconstruction of a lath-fence, the lath being held in place by a woodenstrip,G, whicl is secured longitudinally upon the post, so ato impingeupon the steps or offsets, and is held in place by bolts i, insertedthrough holes inthe post A.

In the construction of corner-posts intended to be used for barb-wirefences 1 mold the head or top part, A, of the post with arightangledrecess, 7c, in which the meeting ends of the top rails forming thecorner are placed edgewise and fixed in place by cement. In Fig. 4: Ihave shown a top view of a post of this construction.

It is obvious that the shape of the upper 5 part, A A, of the post maybe varied in different ways, according to the uses for which the post isintended; but the base Bis in all cases molded with the projectingflanges c d, irre spective of the detailed shape and construc- 10 tionof the upper part, A.

Having thus described my invention, I claim a and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- A fence-post the lower part orbase, B, of 15 which is composed of burned and vitrified clay moldedwith abottom flange, c, and series of parallel flanges d 01 above saidbottom flange, and provided with a central vertical socket, I), and anupper part, A, of wood or metal, having atenon, a, at its lower end,adapted to fit 20 into the socket b, substantially as and for thepurpose herein shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE SWINGLE, 4TH.

Witnesses:

W. B. WEAVER, THEO. BROWN.

